Submissions

APE ENTERTAINMENT SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES

Last updated Novenber 21st, 2010

Ape Entertainment is continually seeking new talent and projects for our print and online endeavors. Before submitting to us, please read these submissions guidelines thoroughly and prepare your samples accordingly. Ape Entertainment receives dozens of submissions a month from aspiring creators. The easier you make it for us to evaluate your work, the easier it is for us to give your work the attention it deserves.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
Ape Entertainment hires freelance talent from all over the world. We’re always on the lookout for pencilers for our in-house comic book projects. Although we don’t hire as many inkers, colorists, or letterers as we do pencilers, we do occasionally hire for those positions. All artistic styles are welcome. Ape Entertainment’s comics are a varied lot, so we’re not hooked on one style of art.

Ape’s primary interest, however, is in publishing stories from pre-assembled creative teams. We are definitely in the market for one-shot comics, mini-series, graphic novels and web comics. We are not looking to publish an ongoing series in print. All genres are considered, from “all-ages” to “mature readers” and all points in-between. If it’s good, we’ll publish it.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WRITERS?
Although we wish we could provide opportunities for all creators, we are not hiring writers who are not already attached to a creative team. Why not? For one thing, we don’t have a large enough editorial staff to assemble, cultivate, and monitor new creative teams in the hopes that such teams will “gel” and be able to produce. Secondly, Ape’s entire catalog is generated from in-house and creator-owned sources, so there are no openings for writers on our existing books.

Writers interested in bringing their work to Ape are encouraged to find artists and produce project pitches of their own. Where can writers find artists? Web sites like Digital Webbing, deviantART, and Penciljack are excellent sites for connecting with other creators. Don’t give up hope! Although rare, writing opportunities do occasionally crop up. In these instances, we will post an open call to writers in the Submissions Guidelines message board.

PROJECT PITCHES
So you’ve got a book you want us to publish, eh? Well, send us your pitch! We will make every attempt to respond with a “yes” or “no” answer to your submission within two or three weeks. Please be patient. Sometimes we get swamped and need more time to respond. We understand that sometimes email gets lost in transit or in SPAM filters, so if you haven’t heard from us in 30 days, feel free to send us a follow up email.

All project pitches should include the following:

1. Cover Letter: Send a short introductory letter (a few paragraphs) that tells us about you and the story you’re submitting. Tell us what makes your story special? Sell it! Also, If you have been previously published (online or in print), let us know and send the appropriate links. Your cover letter can be in the body of an email.

2. Art: Cover art and at least six pages of penciled and inked sequential pages (colors and lettering optional, but recommended). You don’t have to send us the first six pages of your story; just six continuous pages that will blow our minds and make us want to publish your comic. Send us the best six-page sequence in your story. This is the most important component of your submission. Comics are a visual medium. Your art must be of professional caliber. Be realistic. If your art isn’t as good as the pretty pictures you see on the shelves of your comic shop, then chances are we won’t accept your pitch. Please only send links to your artwork hosted online do NOT attach them to your e-mail if you do they will be rejected.

3. Story: Please write a one page or less story overview. This should be a high-level story summary that tells us what happens from the first one to issue done. This shouldn’t be a detailed blow-by-blow description of every little event that happens, but rather a 30,000-foot view of what takes place across the entire story arc (broad strokes). You can write your story overview in the Ape Project Information Sheet below.

4. Ape Project Information Sheet: Please download and fill out this document and include it with your submission. PROJECT INFORMATION SHEET

5. Optional: If you have the items below, please send them, as they will help strengthen your submission. If you do not, don’t worry, you won’t be penalized. Think of it as extra credit.
• Issue breakdowns describing what happens in each issue or OGN chapter
• Character designs and/or character descriptions
• Concept art
• Additional cover concepts or pinup art

6. Now that you know what you should send, you’ll need to know where to send it. Please see “Where Do I Send My Submission?” below for instructions.

ART SUBMISSIONS
Due to the high volume of art submissions we receive on a daily basis, we will not be able to personally respond to your submission unless we’re interested in hiring you for a project. Note: if your art isn’t as good as what’s currently being sold on the shelves of your local comic book store, then chances are that we will not be able to use you on a project.

Please send us a cover letter introducing yourself and your work to us. If you have been previously published (online or in print), let us know and send the appropriate links.

• Pencilers: We are not looking for pinup artists; we’re looking for people that can draw comics. This means that a penciler looking for work with Ape Entertainment must provide samples of sequential art. We want at least four pages of sequential pencils to assess your skills as a storyteller and artist, but the more the better. Try to show as much versatility as possible in your samples–four pages of spandex-clad men beating on each other won’t tell us much about your artistic range. Remember, we publish all kinds of stuff, so don’t limit yourself!
• Inkers: Inking samples should consist of no fewer than four pages; we’ll need to see the pencil art as well as the finished pages. We have no requirements regarding the types of tools our inkers use; all we’re interested in is the finished result. Thus, digital inking samples are as welcome as inks produced via traditional means.
• Colorists: Show us at least four pieces (including at least two pages of sequential art) that demonstrate your skills. If you have a repertoire of several coloring styles, show us all of them!

Now that you know what you should send, you’ll need to know where to send it. Please see “Where Do I Send My Submission?” below for instructions.

WHERE DO I SEND MY SUBMISSIONS?
Please send us your project pitch or art submission via the following methods:

By Email:
Email is our preferred method for receiving submissions. We request that all e-mailed submissions have the files hosted online and that you send us a link. Cover letters can be typed into the body of the email. If you do not currently have an online site in which to post your work, you can build one using a free online service, such as deviantART, Flickr, or Blogger. If you do not want to give the general public access to your work, you can password protect your site—just don’t forget to send us the password! Do NOT send file attachments to us other than the project information sheet; if you do they will be rejected.

If you are unable to post your submission online, we can accept moderately sized file attachments. Ape has limited email space, and simply cannot handle 20 MB pitches. If you send a submission this way, particularly if it contains large attachments (over 5 MB total), please do us the courtesy of sending us an email telling us that a submission is on the way, then await confirmation to send the file. We check email multiple times a day; thus the wait should be short.

Due to the overwhelming number of submissions we receive, it may take a while for us to respond. Although we mentioned this earlier, it bears repeating. We will make every attempt to respond with a “yes” or “no” answer to your submission within two or three weeks. Please be patient. Sometimes we get swamped and need more time to respond. We understand that sometimes email gets lost in transit or in SPAM filters, so if you haven’t heard from us thirty days, feel free to send us a follow up email.

If we do not accept your submission for publication, please do not ask us why or ask for a critique. While we would love to help you improve your craft, we simply do not have the time or resources to do so.

At Conventions:
We also accept submissions and pitches at the Ape Entertainment convention booth. Check the Convention Appearances section of our message board to find out when we’re coming to a convention center near you! We may not always be able to review your submission on the spot, so please put all your submission materials in an easy-to-carry package so we can take it home with us to review it later.

By Mail: If you prefer, you can send your submission via postal mail. DO NOT send original art or materials you cannot replace, as your hard-copy submission will not be returned. Don’t forget to include your email address on your cover letter so that we may contact you if the need arises.

CUSTOM COMIC PUBLISHING
If you own the intellectual property or hold the license to a popular movie, TV show, video game, RPG, book, cartoon, character, personality, etc., Ape Entertainment may be able to help you extend your brand presence into the comic and book markets. Please send inquiries to: Submissions@ape-entertainment.com.

WHAT ABOUT RPGs?
In addition to comic book projects, we will consider completed role-playing games for publication. We are not currently looking for contributors to any of the role-playing products we have in development, though this could change in the future.

WHAT ELSE DOES APE LOOK FOR IN A SUBMISSION?
Like most comic book companies, Ape Entertainment receives a lot of submissions. What sets the cream of the crop apart from the rest? There are a number of things, really, but the “big three” are quality, professionalism, and enthusiasm.
Quality: We judge submissions on talent, vision, and craft. We judge pitches on the strength of the writing and the art; the prettiest pictures in the world can’t carry a third-rate script, and the best script can’t save shoddy art. Why bother creating a comic if it’s not going to be the highest-quality comic possible?

Professionalism: Don’t take that to mean that we only want established people to submit to us—we work with new people all the time (you don’t have to be a pro to behave professionally). Are you able to put your ego aside and take editorial guidance? Can you hit a deadline? Are you ready and willing to do some research to get your pages right? That’s the kind of professionalism we’re looking for.

Enthusiasm: A genuine passion for comics is vital to success in this industry. You have to love comics to make good comics. You have to be motivated and energetic. If you’re excited about what you do, it will show in the finished product. If you and your work demonstrate these three key ingredients, we just might have a place for you at Ape Entertainment.

Should you have any further questions about submitting to Ape Entertainment, contact us at Submissions@ape-entertainment.com. Please make sure you’ve read these guidelines carefully before sending submissions or pitches of any kind.